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Ezekiel 5

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1 και συ υιε ανθρωπου λαβε σεαυτω ρομφαιαν οξειαν υπερ ξυρον κουρεως κτηση αυτην σεαυτω και επαξεις αυτην επι την κεφαλην σου και επι τον πωγωνα σου και λημψη ζυγον σταθμιων και διαστησεις αυτους

2 το τεταρτον εν πυρι ανακαυσεις εν μεση τη πολει κατα την πληρωσιν των ημερων του συγκλεισμου και λημψη το τεταρτον και κατακαυσεις αυτο εν μεσω αυτης και το τεταρτον κατακοψεις εν ρομφαια κυκλω αυτης και το τεταρτον διασκορπισεις τω πνευματι και μαχαιραν εκκενωσω οπισω αυτων

3 και λημψη εκειθεν ολιγους εν αριθμω και συμπεριλημψη αυτους τη αναβολη σου

4 και εκ τουτων λημψη ετι και ριψεις αυτους εις μεσον του πυρος και κατακαυσεις αυτους εν πυρι εξ αυτης εξελευσεται πυρ και ερεις παντι οικω ισραηλ

5 ταδε λεγει κυριος αυτη η ιερουσαλημ εν μεσω των εθνων τεθεικα αυτην και τας κυκλω αυτης χωρας

6 και ερεις τα δικαιωματα μου τη ανομω εκ των εθνων και τα νομιμα μου εκ των χωρων των κυκλω αυτης διοτι τα δικαιωματα μου απωσαντο και εν τοις νομιμοις μου ουκ επορευθησαν εν αυτοις

7 δια τουτο ταδε λεγει κυριος ανθ' ων η αφορμη υμων εκ των εθνων των κυκλω υμων και εν τοις νομιμοις μου ουκ επορευθητε και τα δικαιωματα μου ουκ εποιησατε αλλ' ουδε κατα τα δικαιωματα των εθνων των κυκλω υμων ου πεποιηκατε

8 δια τουτο ταδε λεγει κυριος ιδου εγω επι σε και ποιησω εν μεσω σου κριμα ενωπιον των εθνων

9 και ποιησω εν σοι α ου πεποιηκα και α ου ποιησω ομοια αυτοις ετι κατα παντα τα βδελυγματα σου

10 δια τουτο πατερες φαγονται τεκνα εν μεσω σου και τεκνα φαγονται πατερας και ποιησω εν σοι κριματα και διασκορπιω παντας τους καταλοιπους σου εις παντα ανεμον

11 δια τουτο ζω εγω λεγει κυριος ει μη ανθ' ων τα αγια μου εμιανας εν πασιν τοις βδελυγμασιν σου καγω απωσομαι σε ου φεισεται μου ο οφθαλμος καγω ουκ ελεησω

12 το τεταρτον σου εν θανατω αναλωθησεται και το τεταρτον σου εν λιμω συντελεσθησεται εν μεσω σου και το τεταρτον σου εις παντα ανεμον σκορπιω αυτους και το τεταρτον σου εν ρομφαια πεσουνται κυκλω σου και μαχαιραν εκκενωσω οπισω αυτων

13 και συντελεσθησεται ο θυμος μου και η οργη μου επ' αυτους και επιγνωση διοτι εγω κυριος λελαληκα εν ζηλω μου εν τω συντελεσαι με την οργην μου επ' αυτους

14 και θησομαι σε εις ερημον και τας θυγατερας σου κυκλω σου ενωπιον παντος διοδευοντος

15 και εση στενακτη και δηλαιστη εν τοις εθνεσιν τοις κυκλω σου εν τω ποιησαι με εν σοι κριματα εν εκδικησει θυμου μου εγω κυριος λελαληκα

16 εν τω εξαποστειλαι με τας βολιδας μου του λιμου επ' αυτους και εσονται εις εκλειψιν και συντριψω στηριγμα αρτου σου

17 και εξαποστελω επι σε λιμον και θηρια πονηρα και τιμωρησομαι σε και θανατος και αιμα διελευσονται επι σε και ρομφαιαν επαξω επι σε κυκλοθεν εγω κυριος λελαληκα

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Apocalypse Revealed #487

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487. "But leave out the court which is outside the temple, and do not measure it." (11:2) This symbolically means that the state of the church on earth, as it is still, must be set aside and not learned.

The court outside the temple symbolizes the church on earth, because that church is outside heaven, heaven being the temple (no. 486). To leave out means, symbolically, to remove, here to remove from heaven, because its state is of such a character. And not to measure means, symbolically, not to learn or investigate its character (no. 486). The reason follows: "for has been given to the gentiles, and they will tread the holy city underfoot for forty-two months."

That the court outside the temple here symbolizes the church on earth as it is still, is apparent from the following particulars in this chapter, where it is described by the great city called Sodom and Egypt, in which the Lord's two witnesses lay dead, and which afterward fell in a great earthquake, and seven thousand people by name were killed in it - and many other particulars besides.

[2] Elsewhere in the Word the court symbolizes the outward aspect of the church. For there were two courts 1 to be crossed when entering the Temple itself in Jerusalem, and as the Temple symbolized the church in respect to its inner aspect, therefore the courts symbolized the church in respect to its outward one. Consequently strangers who came from the surrounding nations were admitted into the courts, but not into the Temple itself.

Moreover, because the court symbolized the outward aspect of the church, it symbolized therefore also the church on earth, and heaven as well in its outmost manifestations, inasmuch as the church on earth is an entryway into heaven, and so is heaven in its outmost manifestations.

[3] A court has this symbolic meaning in the following places:

Blessed is he whom You choose... He shall dwell in Your courts. We shall be satisfied with the goodness of Your house, with the holiness of Your temple. (Psalms 65:4)

Praise the name of Jehovah..., O you... who stand in (His) house, in the courts of the house of our God. (Psalms 135:1-2)

How lovely are Your habitations, O Jehovah...! My soul... indeed faints for the courts of Jehovah. (Psalms 84:1-2)

Enter into His gates with confession, His courts with praise. (Psalms 100:4)

The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree... Those who are planted in the house of Jehovah shall sprout in the courts of our God. (Psalms 92:12-13)

...a day in Your courts is better than thousands. I have chosen to stand at the door in the house of my God... (Psalms 84:10)

And so on elsewhere, as in Psalms 96:8; 116:18-19, Isaiah 1:12; 62:9, Zechariah 3:7, Ezekiel 10:3-5.

Regarding the courts of the Temple in Jerusalem, see 1 Kings 6:36; 7:12.

Regarding the courts of the new Temple, Ezekiel 40:17-44; 42:1-14; 43:4-7.

And regarding the court outside the Tabernacle, Exodus 27:9-18.

Footnotes:

1. I.e., the inner court or court of priests, and the outer court or great court. See 1 Kings 6:36; 7:12

  
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Many thanks to the General Church of the New Jerusalem, and to Rev. N.B. Rogers, translator, for the permission to use this translation.